I'm the Satellite (And You're the Sky)
by graysonsgurl
Summary: Grayson has been absent from Gotham for a while, so Damian decides to venture into his room. Though it is definitely not because he misses the man. (Title from Cecilia and the Satellite)


Damian knew that years ago he would have upturned his nose at the slightest mention of any of his so called elder brothers. However, Damian had noted Grayson's increasing absence in Gotham ever since his father had returned and couldn't help but follow the urge to make way to his eldest brother's room. It would seem he wasn't the only one that trying to quell feelings of loneliness now that Grayson had made his visits less frequent. Tensions had risen around the manor as various members took to fighting as their resident peacekeeper was missing. Even insufferable Todd and Drake had been seen sulking and fighting more often, a feat which Damian had not thought possible for the two. Damian often woke to screaming matches before Pennyworth could act as a buffer between whomever was quarreling.

However, despite the long time absent, the family knew it was best to let Grayson run his course. They missed him when he was gone, obviously, but leaving him to his own devices rather than calling him home and having him subsequently return before he was ready was much preferred for everyone involved.

Damian glanced at the imposing door in front of him before sneaking glances around the hall to make sure no one would see him entering, least of all he be accused of some sort of unnecessary sentimentality. He swung the door open and caught it before it could crash into the wall, neatly returning it back into place as he slid into the room before a single noise could disturb the other occupants of the manor.

Upon entering, Damian slumped against the door and took in the sight before him. The room was an absolute mess. He knew Grayson thrived in the chaos, much to Pennyworth's dismay. Clothes littered the ground near the open closet from the last time Grayson had stayed over, but Damian could not tell if they were clean or dirty. Posters were plastered on the walls, some of which being from his days in the circus others of the Justice League displayed in a simultaneous attempt of humor and irritating his father, along with a cork board pinned with pictures of Grayson's friends and family. The bed in the corner had the blankets thrown to one side as if Grayson had just occupied the bed the night before and was too hurried to bother making it.

Damian straightened and made his way towards the dressers that bordered the bed along the wall. He ran his fingers across the wood material of the top, examining the dust that had collected along his finger as well as the clutter that was splayed out on top, ranging from an older watch to various books. Opening the first drawer, he came across even more things strewn about. Moving everything to the side and putting them back nearly in place, Damian snorted as he came across the pink makeup bag that had managed to keep some of its glitter despite the few gemstones that remained on the bag from its obvious age.

Undoing the zipper to the bag, Damian smirked at the chalked and clumped makeup that lay in the bag. He could remember Grayson sitting in the old study, heralding their family with various stories from his days as Robin as they sat around the fireplace and drank the hot chocolate courtesy of Pennyworth. Father had sat in the corner chair, sometimes adding his own input (mainly so he could defend himself from the insights of the original Robin) as Gordon and Drake laughed, Gordon occasionally adding her own commentary to the outrageous stories when she could compose herself enough to speak. Todd was sat between Brown and Cain, trying to deny his interest in the stories as well as being in the manor at all, but kept egging on Grayson to continue his tales. Grayson, between bouts of laughter, began to tell them the tales of his undercover missions as a girl with his father. While Gordon and Brown were near in tears, Damian could only gape at his father, not wanting to imagine either of his mentors dressed as women. Father could only huff and gruffly try to impose on his family that Grayson was in fact exaggerating while Drake and Cain merely tried to hush their laughter at the plight of Batman. When Grayson was finished, Todd added to the night by recounting his own tales of having been forced to dress as a girl while Gordon wheezed and asked his father if having Grayson dress as a girl simply wasn't enough.

Damian returned the makeup bag to its rightful place before slowly creeping towards the bed. Hesitantly, he laid down among the blankets before he pulled them over his head with a pillow clutched to his chest. He stayed there, thinking of Grayson and when the idiot would finally return. He had meant to return to his own room so he could be woken in the morning by Pennyworth as usual. However, the covers sufficiently blocked out the dim lights in the room and being surrounded by that warmth eased Damian into a light slumber. The next thing he knew a pair of strong arms were shifting the blankets away and cradling him close to a warm chest.

Blearily, he stared up at Grayson's face as the man whispered, "Go back to sleep, Dami. Don't worry; I'll still be here in the morning."

Damian tried to mutter back how he hadn't been worried at all and he was perfectly able to make his way back to his room unaided, but all he could do was let his eyes drift shut again. When he was settled into his own bed, he could feel as his hair was swept out of his eyes and his older brother placed a gentle kiss to his forehead. And seeing as Grayson thought he was asleep and he was rather tired, Damian didn't see the need to protest the affectionate action.


End file.
